Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Indian Acting Deputy High Commissioner was on Wednesday summoned by the South Asia and SAARC desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register Pakistan’s protest over unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian occupied forces in Chirikot Sector, along the Line of Control, on June 12.

The incident had resulted in the loss of the life of a civilian identified as Shakeel, a resident of Trothi village.

According to a press release, the Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas. In 2018, the Indian forces carried out more than 1,100 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in the martyrdom of 29 innocent civilians, while injuring 117 others. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India has continued since 2017.

“The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” the statement said.

The SA & SAARC acting director general urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate all incidents of ceasefire violations and to direct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. The Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions, he stressed.

Published in Daily Times, June 14^th 2018.